Innocence
by n00b-masta2112
Summary: A collections of related oneshots about Ramirez and Fina before SoA begins.  Ch. 1 Dolly, Ch. 2 On Her Mind, Ch. 3 Nightmares
1. Dolly

**Author's Notes:**

This is a collection of related oneshots and drabbles about Fina and Ramirez before the whole thing begins inspired by Avril Lavigne's song "Innocence." They mostly take place at the Great Silver Shrine when they're friends. So…to the first one!

In the first oneshot, Fina is three and Ramirez is ten. These probably won't go in chronological order. I know they've "known each other since birth" but let's just pretend the elders told them about each other before they actually met okay? On with the ficcage!

Disclaimer: I don't own Skies of Arcadia.

Dolly

A little girl with platinum blonde hair leaned over the railing at the edge of the Silver Shrine. She bit her trembling lip, trying her best not to cry. A silvery balloon-like creature flew around her head.

"Don't lean too close or else you'll fall off the edge," came a voice behind her.

The girl turned her head and scooted back a little. "B-but…my d-dolly…" she sniffled.

The boy who had spoken stepped forward and put his arm around the little girl. "Did you lose something?" She nodded and pointed over the edge. "You probably can't get it back if it fell off the edge of the island. But…I can make you a new one maybe. What did you drop?"

"M-my dolly…" stuttered the little girl.

"Come on. I will help you get a new one."

The girl stood up and took the boy's hand. "Hey mister. You're very kind. What's your name?"

"I'm Ramirez."

"Thank you f-for helping me R-Ramirez…" Ramirez began to lead the girl away from the railing and she asked, "How are we going to fix my dolly?"

"Well…You're Fina right? The elders have told me about you."

"Uh-huh."

"Well Fina, it's too late to save your old doll, but I can try to make you a different one. Would you like to help too?" Fina nodded and beamed. Ramirez chuckled.

"A new one would be great Mister Ramirez."

"Just Ramirez. There's almost nobody to talk to here, and I'd rather not be treated like the elders."

Fina nodded again and smiled up at him. "You can talk to me whenever you want to Ramirez! We can be friends!"

Ramirez laughed again and ruffled her hair. "You bet, Fina. Let's be friends, you and I."

"Forever, right?" asked Fina as she snuggled against his sleeve.

The boy patted her head again. "Right. Our friendship will last longer than your doll."

"I don't even want another dolly anymore. I've got a _real_ friend instead," said Fina proudly. Ramirez smiled at her and nodded. "Real friends are better than dolls. They can talk and play and hug."

"I'm glad I found you, Fina."

"I'm glad I found you too, Mister Ramirez."

They walked off like that together, forgetting all about the silly little doll that was hanging by a thread off the bottom of the Great Silver Shrine.

----------

**More Notes: **That one was a little stupid, but the next ones will get better! I promise! Keep reading! And reviewing! For the next oneshots! Not this one! Click the 'next chapter' thingy over there

You know you want to…:D


	2. On Her Mind

**Author's Notes:**

Okay…to the second oneshot! Boy, this is going fast. In this one, Fina is about five and Ramirez is twelve.

Disclaimer: Hmm…nope. Still don't own.

On Her Mind

Fina sat on Ramirez's floor while he inspected a worn map on the wall. Fina was fiddling with a bundle of string Ramirez had given her. He had tried to teach her how to make herself her own necklaces and bracelets, but she couldn't quite catch on. Cupil was flying around the ceiling in circles. Ramirez paused from the map for a moment to skim a page in an old book on the table beside him.

"Ramirez?" Fina asked quietly.

"Hm?" responded Ramirez absently.

"Um…do you want to…um…you want to…um…"

"What? What is it Fina? I'm trying to concentrate."

"Oh…it's nothing. Never mind." Fina fiddled a little bit more with her string before standing up and sitting on Ramirez's beautifully crafted bed. She sat silently for a while before asking again, "Ramirez…do you want to do something else? It's not much fun for me in here."

Ramirez didn't seem to hear her. He just continued studying the map and book before him. Fina huffed and lay her head on his pillow. "Ramirez!"

"What is it!? I'm kind of busy Fina. Can't you just go play somewhere else?" said Ramirez angrily. Fina sat up suddenly and looked at him.

"Won't you come play too?"

Ramirez shook his head and returned to his work. "I told you, I'm busy."

"Then I'm busy too. I don't want to be anywhere you're not," stated Fina as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides, it wouldn't be any fun to play by myself."

Ramirez again ignored her. Fina sighed sadly and turned to the wall above the bed. Some supplies for building and making things sat idle on a shelf, and they caught Fina's attention. "What are these?" She picked up a jar filled with colorful glass objects and inspected it. "Ramirez? What's this for?"

The boy turned momentarily from his studies to see what Fina had found. "Just some stuff for making…stuff, I guess."

"What do you make with it? Will you show me? Can I help you?"

Ramirez thought for a minute then exhaled deeply, setting his mapping tools on the table. "I suppose I could take a break for a little while. Let me see that." Fina held the jar out and Ramirez took it from her. He peered inside the container before opening it and showing his little friend. "They're beads, see? I made your necklace with them, remember?"

Fina brought a hand up to her neck and touched the pendant hanging there. It was a white, silver, and gold flower of beads, fanning out across her tiny chest. She grinned and nodded. "Uh-huh. They're very pretty. Can we make another one?"

Ramirez picked up the jar again and shifted around its contents. "Sure. We can make something for your hair this time…How about a…?" The boy thought for a second.

"How about a heart, Rami? Like love?" Fina piped up as she moved from the bed to the floor.

"If you want a heart, you'll get a heart, Fina. Whatever you want." Ramirez then dumped out a few beads and reached for the string a little ways away on the floor. "Let's measure the string first, so we know how long to make it, okay Fina?"

Fina nodded eagerly and reached for the string.

"You wanna do it? Alright, you decide how big the hairpin should be. While you do that, I'll find something that will clip into your hair," said Ramirez as he stood up and went to the shelf above his bed. He shuffled the trinkets around a bit before settling on a shiny piece of silver metal that had several clasps around the outside. "Hey Fina? Will this be okay? I just have to remove a few of the other clasps and it will be all ready."

"Okay, you're the crafty one here, Rami. You know what to do, I'm just observing."

"The elders teach you that?"

"Teach me what?" asked Fina as she held up a few colorful beads to the light.

"Teach you that term."

"What term?" Fina asked again.

"'Observing.' Did you hear them say it or something?"

Fina shook her head. "No. I heard it from you."

"Oh. That's interesting." Ramirez brought the little pin over to where Fina was sitting and sat beside her. "What colors do you want?"

"Um…how about red and silver?"

And so they spent the rest of the afternoon creating some more jewelry for the young Fina to enjoy. After it was all finished, Ramirez helped Fina pin the heart into her blonde hair. Fina smiled warmly at her friend. "Thank you so much Ramirez! You're so great with your hands! You can create anything!"

Ramirez chuckled. "I'm glad you like it."

"It's your heart, right? It will always be on my mind."

Ramirez flicked her forehead playfully. "I'm glad. I'll always be thinking of your heart too, Fina."

Fina wrapped her arms around the older boy in a sincere hug. "I love you, Ramirez."

Ramirez patted her small head resting on his shoulder. "I love you too, Fina." He kissed the top of her head fondly. "I will always love you."

**Yay! Pointless, rambling author's notes!**

That one was a little better, but I think I could do even better. Okay, I'll get another one up as soon as I can.


	3. Nightmares

**Author's Notes:**

I'm back! The third oneshot is here already! I think Fina is four or five in this part. You decide. Probably five. So…let the chapter begin!

Nightmares

Ramirez stood in his room in front of the huge map on his wall, staring at it as if he were searching for the answers to his problems in it. Suddenly, his concentration was broken by a light rapping at the door. He looked up, wondering who could be awake at such an hour. "Come in," he said. His voice was raspy and tired. He had been up all night and most of the early morning. It was nearing three o'clock.

The door creaked open and a little girl with platinum blond hair held back by a red and silver heart pin clutched a small white blanket and stood in the doorway. Cupil buzzed anxiously around her head. "R-Rami?"

Ramirez left his spot by the wall and strode over to Fina. "Fina. What's the matter? What are you doing up at this time? You should be in bed."

Fina sniffled and pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"Fina? Are you okay?" Ramirez sounded truly concerned. He knelt down in front of her and put a hand on her shoulder.

The little girl sniffed again and shook her head. She looked as if she was about to cry.

"Fina! Stop. Come in and tell me what's wrong," said Ramirez as he led her inside and to his bed, sitting her down, Cupil following closely over Fina's shoulder.

"B-bad d-dream," she stuttered out.

Ramirez put his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. "Don't cry, Fina. I'm here. Nothing bad will happen to you." She stayed in his arms like that for a time, listening to his heart beat steadily. "Do you want to tell me about it?" Ramirez asked.

Fina started to say something, but all that came out was a hiccup and a whimper. She buried her face in his neck. He gently stroked her hair and shushed her. "It's alright. You don't have to."

After a span of silence, Fina whispered, "Everyone was dead." Ramirez pulled her away from his chest and looked at her face. "The elders were all killed. You left me here by myself. I was all alone…" She curled up into a little ball in his lap. "No one was here for me…I was alone…alone…You left me Ramirez! By myself! All alone!" She burst into tears and Ramirez once again took her in his arms.

"Fina…I would never leave you. I couldn't ever let you be lonely."

Fina stopped crying and sniffed again. "Really? Never leave?" Ramirez shook his head. "You'll _always_ be here with me…forever?"

"Forever," promised Ramirez. "I love you too much to abandon you, Fina."

"Th-thank you, Rami. That means a lot to me." Fina snuggled against him again. "Could I sleep in your room Ramirez? Just this once?" she begged.

"Of course," he told her. "But get some rest. It's way past your bedtime." Fina nodded and let Ramirez tuck her into his bed.

She placed a peck on his cheek and whispered, "I know the nightmare isn't real now, Rami. I know you'll never leave me, because you promised me…you promised me…" The little girl was asleep in moments, her words dying away into silence.

Ramirez smiled and kissed her forehead softly and turned to the window. "You have no idea, Fina. The whole world is one big nightmare. We can never escape our worst fears. The nightmare goes on…"

**Author's Notes:**

If my lovely readers have any suggestions for another addition to this collection, please review and tell me. I need more ideas! I like this collection very much, and I would really like to continue with it. I have an idea for the last chapter, but I'd like a few more between now and then. So if you've got any good ideas (or bad ideas, just IDEAS) then please don't hesitate to pitch them to me. Thanks :)


End file.
